Improvement in ore-washers



1. A.-P|-:En.

Ore-Washers. No. 142,647.;

Patented September 9,1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. PEER, OF GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENYT'IN ORE-WASHERS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. y142,647, datedSeptember 9, 1873 application filed J une 18, `1873. f

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. PEER, of Grass Valley, Nevada county, Stateof California, have'invented a Flume Itiflie and Discharge; and I dohereby declare the following description` and accompanying drawings. aresufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to whichit most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention orimprovement without further invention or experiment. Y

The object of my invention is to provide an improved iiume riftle anddischarge which is more especially adapted to be employed in gravel,hydraulic, or free-gold washing where there is rich black sand and freegold, amalgam or other heavy substances, which it is desired to savewithout `frequent stoppages and it consists in the employment of apeculiar rifiie, which is constructed of alternate longitudinal ridgesand depressions, having a curvilinear bottom, either perforated whollyor in alternate sections, whereby the sand and metallic particles willbecome concentrated in the bottom of these depressions, and will movealong without clogging until they reach some of the perforateddischarge-openings, through which they will fall into the bed of theflume or sluice. The rocks and large stones will be carried down uponthe ridges, and will not wear the bottoms of the depressions, nor tendto sweep the valuable particles along out of the sluice.

My discharging device consists in the employment of a cylinder extendingacross below the bottom of the sluice,l and just beneath an opening madein this bottom. The cylinder turns closely against the opening upon oneside, and upon the other has a springplate pressing a-gainst it, whichconstantly rubs the discharging gold, which may 'be rust, so that itwill be easily amalgamated, and, at the same time, it will give enoughto allow the concentrated material to pass through. This cylinder may beturned by,a-paddlewheel in the iiume, or by other convenient power.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my riflle. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section in elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section.

A A are the sides of a flume or sluice, and

B is the bottom. Side rails C C are placed at an inclination in thebottom of the sluice, and, as this has always a considerable inclinationtoward its discharge end, the rifiies, which lie upon these inclinedrails, can be so placed that the end nearest the discharge will lieabove the front end of the following riflie, as shown, and yet have asufficient slope to permit water to flow freely down the sluice, fallingfrom the lower end of each upon the beginning or front end ofthe nextone. rIhese rifiles arecast, preferably, of white iron, and consist ofplates formed of alternate longitudinal ridges D D, of some height, anddepressions E, which lie between these ridges. These depressions aremade of "a curvilinear cross-section, which gives a bottom of such shapethat there will be no danger of clogging, while its shape is verysuperior for concentrating the heavy materials. I prefer to make thispart of the riffle as thin as pcssible; and it is protected from wear orbreakage by the ridges, over which the bowlders, stones, and coarsegravel will pass'out of contact with the bottom of the depressions. Theridges also serve to prevent the rocks from sweeping the sand and metalsout of the sluice. In order to save the concentrated material Iperforate the bottom oi' the depressions with numerous holes c' i,through which the sand will fall upon the bottom of the sluice. I preferto perforate only the alternate section of the riies, so that the sand,which will concentrate on the plain depressions, will fall through theperforations on the rifde next below. Beneath each perforated riflie Imake an opening or slot, which extends across the sluice. Just beneaththis opening is a cylinder, G, mounted on journals, so as to rotateclosely against the iianges or plates II and I placed below the sluice,and curved to lit the cylinder. The plate II is made fast t-o the bottomof the sluice, but the plate I is Vfitted to slide to and from thecylinder, so as to allow particles of varying size to pass through. Aspring, J, serves to keep the plate I at all times as close as thepassage of the sand will permit, and this partly polishes the rust gold,so that it will be amalgamated easily. A screw, L, serves to adjust thetension of the spring. Y

The cylinder G is rotated by any convenient means; but the simplest willbe by a waterwheel, as at K, which will be turned by thel ciirrent inthe sluice; and power can be coinmunicated by a belt.

By this construction I am enabled to save all the precious metals andheavy black sand, which is often Very rich in free gold, but which willfill up the ordinary sluiec-riliies, so that after a short ltimeeverything will be carried out of the sluice as certainly as if therewere no rifiies in it. This necessitates frequent stoppages for thepurpose of cleaning up, which my constant-discharging device remedies.The rifies will ordinarily'be made in sections of one foot wide by fourfeet long, so as to be easily handled and removed, if required; and theridges between the depressions may be rounded, although this will occurby the natural wear in time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The rilles D E, in combination with the inclined side rails c c, asand `for the purpose described.

2. The discharging-cylinder G, rotating between the fixed flange H andthe adjustablysliding flange I at the bottom of the Iiume, constructedto operate as a constant-discharging device, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. A iiume or sluice rifde and discharge, consisting of thelongitudinally corrugated and perforated rifles, placed as shown, incombination with the rotating discharge-cylinder G, the whole operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN ANTONE PEER. lL. s.]

Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG, U. M. RICHARDSON.

